


Maths Cute

by woolfverse



Series: Woolfverse [15]
Category: Temeraire - Novik
Genre: 1990s, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Arguing, Character of Color, Matchmaking, Mathematics, Multi, POV Third Person, Past Tense, Subtext, Teenagers, embarrassing stories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-17
Updated: 2010-02-17
Packaged: 2017-10-07 14:01:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/65833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/woolfverse/pseuds/woolfverse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Temeraire has to do a math project with Perscitia.  How terribly annoying that Laurence insists on inviting her to stay for dinner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Maths Cute

Temeraire burst in the door somewhat late, and stood huffing in the foyer while he kicked off his shoes, frowning deeply. Tharkay was inclined to ignore him, and go back to the soap opera he had been half-watching, half-translating to a vaguely interested Will, but Will had already looked up and asked what was the matter.

"Everything!" Temeraire threw up his hands in anguish. "There is a _girl_ coming over, we must work on a maths project together. Not," he paused, "That I need any help, only it is part of the assignment."

Tharkay chortled, and Will hushed him, going on to ask, "And you do not like this girl?"

Temeraire shrugged, still apparently deeply affected. "I do not _mind_ Perscitia, but she is so _loud_ and bossy, and thinks she is always right, and argumentative, and she is always _bothering me_." On the last note, he folded his arms over his chest and sniffled.

There seemed to be a strange look spreading over the landscape of Will's face, Tharkay could not quite make it out. "I see. Will she be staying over for dinner?"

"I _hope_ not." Temeraire said, and stumbled off to prepare for her arrival, but somehow Will maneuvered it so that Perscitia (a smallish mouse of a girl with eyes too big to be quite held on an already large head, bright blue and blonde all over) sat at the guest table while they ate. She was as argumentative as Temeraire had warned, but not quite as loud, only becoming animated at mention of maths or schoolwork or, more and most often, Temeraire.

"Oh! He did what, when he was smaller?" She asked, pale cheeks actually gaining some semblance of color with this new burst of enthusiasm.

"Pray do not tell her." Temeraire mumbled into his potatoes, but Will was already up, napkin folded to the side, retrieving the nearest picture book. Temeraire looked pleadingly to Tharkay, who only shook his head, playing the neutral party.

Perscitia flipped through the picture book, managing to find the only picture within that showcased her two main interests (as far as Tharkay could tell): maths and Temeraire. "Temeraire, this equation, here, is wrong." She pointed to a picture of Temeraire, fifteen, looking up from homework, the content of which barely ledgible from the photo, and yet somehow Perscitia had picked it out (possibly by the aid of her improportionately large pince-nez).

"Of course it is! I was younger then, and did not know as much!"

Perscitia leaned back, both of them now frowning. "There is no need to get all upset about it."

"I am not getting _all upset_, I am only saying, I was much younger then-"

"That does not change the fact that it is _wrong_."

Will only sat down beside Tharkay as the two of them continued to bicker like children. Tharkay turned, and raised an eyebrow; in answer, Will shrugged and said, "My brother, George, used to act this way with Elizabeth."

Tharkay could not quite suppress his groan, or the rolling of his eyes. "_Will_, you are not trying to set _teenagers_ up."

He smiled beautifically. "No, only she obviously wants to spend time with him..."

Tharkay continued his best effort to stare, flatly as possible.

"...And they'll thank me for it later. Are you finished with that, I'll take it to the sink."

Tharkay considered asking the same of the children, still arguing though not quite at the stage of hair-pulling (yet), but decided he would rather not his hand bit off, and followed Will to the kitchen.


End file.
